New research published in the open access journal BMC Public Health shows that adults living in deprived communities in England are at greater risk of suffering alcohol-related disease and death compared to those living in non-deprived communities despite drinking similar amounts of alcohol. This is referred to as the ‘alcohol harm paradox’.

Research and Development Grant

Policy makers, health and social care professionals, and researchers have long been interested and concerned about the apparent relationship between health and socioeconomic status (SES). Previous research has shown a gradient in the risks of ill health by SES such that those with low personal or neighbourhood SES are much more likely to die or suffer from a range of diseases, including those related to alcohol. For example, males and females in the most socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods of the UK have been estimated to be two to three times as likely to die from an alcohol-related condition than their counterparts living in the least deprived. However, analysis of alcohol use behaviours suggests that there is little difference in consumption between these types of areas.